That's exactly why I like and want this bike: I DO want a Ducati/BMW/Tenere except I want it to be a KTM.

I'm in!

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Yep!

This bike has a leg up for performance motorcyclists that ride in the real world.

MTS- stick to the pavement and has worse fueling (which it also uses more of) and less grunt

GS - can ride with grandpa on all roads also make sure you don the Aerostitch so you look like everyone else in your 20 bike group

Tenere- somehow even heavier than GS, with less power but better off road...vanilla functionality

1190 Adv - rip through twisties and broken pavement with your buddies on MTS's then leave them for dead when you rip through forest service roads to connect to more awesome roads, truly can go anywhere at a sporty pace*

*- if you live in the real world there are few places you can truly ride "off road" (paved and not), and those few places are designated trails and pay-to-visit-parks... And taking a real "ready to race" EXC there makes so much more sense, unless you are a star bucks poseur on your 9x0 bike. (I kid... Kind of)

I agree and celebrate that this bike will appeal to a broader audience.

But I'm at pains to understand how it's (at least the R version) less dirt worthy than the 9x0 absent any actual actual riding experience.

I hear the same whining about the exhaust routing and can, skid plate, and suspension travel. Yet these are areas where the majority of 9x0 owners have spent money to improve the 9x0's: so what's the big deal? As I've said, the 1190, equipped as many of us will accessorize them, will weigh less, be narrower, have the same or more power with the flick of a switch, have switchable dirt specific ABS and traction control, far more range, and tubeless tires, easier maintenance, etc.. At what promises to be a competitive price point.

I think the posing issue wrt this bike is being done by the people upset about losing the look of the 9x0. That's really my only beef with the 1190 and I would have preferred they kept it. I mean I like the looks of the 1190, but the 9x0 is a shape for the ages.

I think the posing issue wrt this bike is being done by the people upset about losing the look of the 9x0. That's really my only beef with the 1190 and I would have preferred they kept it. I mean I like the looks of the 1190, but the 9x0 is a shape for the ages.

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Agreed on the 990 being the epic Rally bike, but it is imagery and history now... That is the irony of the Starbucks slams; the 990 is the poseur bike. The 1190 is designed and marketed to be nothing but what it is, a sporty real world motorcycle.

I'll agree that it might, but lets not get ahead of the game and say it already is a runaway sucess! I guess I'm in the minority but this bike is far less appealing than what it replaces for me. Maybe we need a poll of 950-990 owners to see how many would replace their bikes with this? Like I said before, if I wanted a Ducati/BMW/Tenere, I'd own one.

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We know how you feel dude let it go already. You keep praising the old LC8's but keep it in perspective you're selling yours......................

And I'd buy a new, better one but it would need to be lighter and have better ergos for off roading. This ain't it.

I don't see how it can be called a full blown sales sucess before it's released or even tested by a mag but hey, to each his own! I guess all the guys who are drooling should have been lined up to buy the SMt990s but they didn't???

I have not seen that the 990 is going away, only that they are adding a new member (1190) to the line up. All this talk of a by-gone era, loss of a classic, etc. and I have not heard any of that. I see the 990 competing (trouncing) with the F800GS and Tiger 800 XC. The 1190 is fitting right in there with the group mentioned, and I bet they are eat them alive to. For example, it is the only bike in that class that is chain driven (with associated pros/cons). In that class, I bet the KTM crushes the ST and BMW, MST, and Tiger explorer. I am sure they did their market research before developing the bike.

I don't see how it can be called a full blown sales sucess before it's released or even tested by a mag but hey, to each his own! I guess all the guys who are drooling should have been lined up to buy the SMt990s but they didn't???

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I can only speak for myself and say that the engine is just plain f*cking awesome, and since it is a MOTORcycle... Unless KTM screws it up somehow, which I don't see likely, it is going to be an awesome motorcycle. Just as you can't stop thinking how great the bikes KTM made 10 years ago are the best thing ever and this is a huge misstep, I can't stop thinking how much I wish this bike was available when I painfully debated between 990R I have always wanted and the sexy RC8R that had a great motor and purchased the latter.

The SMT is a supermoto with big tank and a bit underpowered. This bike seems to cover the gaps by adding power and giving more well rounded wheel sizing.

I have not seen that the 990 is going away, only that they are adding a new member (1190) to the line up. All this talk of a by-gone era, loss of a classic, etc. and I have not heard any of that. I see the 990 competing (trouncing) with the F800GS and Tiger 800 XC. The 1190 is fitting right in there with the group mentioned, and I bet they are eat them alive to. For example, it is the only bike in that class that is chain driven (with associated pros/cons). In that class, I bet the KTM crushes the ST and BMW, MST, and Tiger explorer. I am sure they did their market research before developing the bike.

I'll agree that it might, but lets not get ahead of the game and say it already is a runaway sucess! I guess I'm in the minority but this bike is far less appealing than what it replaces for me. Maybe we need a poll of 950-990 owners to see how many would replace their bikes with this? Like I said before, if I wanted a Ducati/BMW/Tenere, I'd own one.

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KTM was NOT going after 950/990 owners who will upgrade, they are going after new owners from other brands. All the existing 950/990 owners who don't like this bike will keep their bikes for many many years to come or maybe look at the smaller & lighter v-twin bike KTM is said to be making.
This bike is not for them.

Is that so hard to grasp that KTM is branching out? There is a reason all the mfg are producing 1200cc big adv bikes these days. They are selling. BMW leads the market and KTM wants a piece of the pie. No different than what the Super Tenere, Tiger Explorer XC, Stelvio NTX and even the new 1000 Strom concept are shooting for, plus for road only (ie regular 1190) you've also got the 1000 Versys and the new Caponord. BMW has shown it's not giving up with the new GS and they even have an enduro version that is said to cross back towards KTM with better dirt performance. Is there any doubt what all these mfg. are going for???

A certain KTM official at a certain recent KTM Rally in Bend, OR did in fact mention to me that the 990 engine was at the end of production this year, so I wouldn't count on the KTM990 continuing. I suppose it is possible they may size down the LC8 to an 800, just speculation.

KTM was NOT going after 950/990 owners who will upgrade, they are going after new owners from other brands. All the existing 950/990 owners who don't like this bike will keep their bikes for many many years to come or maybe look at the smaller & lighter v-twin bike KTM is said to be making.
This bike is not for them.

Is that so hard to grasp that KTM is branching out? There is a reason all the mfg are producing 1200cc big adv bikes these days. They are selling. BMW leads the market and KTM wants a piece of the pie. No different than what the Super Tenere, Tiger Explorer XC, Stelvio NTX and even the new 1000 Strom concept are shooting for, plus for road only (ie regular 1190) you've also got the 1000 Versys and the new Caponord. BMW has shown it's not giving up with the new GS and they even have an enduro version that is said to cross back towards KTM with better dirt performance. Is there any doubt what all these mfg. are going for???

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Exactly. I've been drooling over the 950/990 Adventure for years now.:tb:tb Never could get myself to sell the 1200GS, because even though its not nearly as good off-road its that much better on. But as I kept trying to make my GS more dirt worthy it became obvious that it will never even get close to what the KTM can do in the dirt. I will admit that when I read that the new GS will have a wet clutch I got right out excited thinking finally the GS will be more dirt worthy, but then the BMW guys screwed it up, put fatter even more dirt unfriendly tires on the new cow, made no mention of lower gearing for off-road and to put the coup the grace on it made the diameter of the front forks smaller.:eek1 This new 1190 looks like it will still be much more dirt worthy than the GS, but should be just as good, maybe even better, than the GS on road.

I dont get the shift - perhaps because the 990 was too much in a class of its own and they were not capitalizing from a business perspective on the GS riders who want a more road oriented bike.

The amount of times that I have dropped my "awesome" 990 because it desires to go where no GS could every go... that garbage can on the side wouldn't last 5 mins... The twin pipe look on the 990 was awesome. I don't get it

Did they really ask their customers what they want - current 990 owners??

Exactly. I've been drooling over the 950/990 Adventure for years now.:tb:tb Never could get myself to sell the 1200GS, because even though its not nearly as good off-road its that much better on. But as I kept trying to make my GS more dirt worthy it became obvious that it will never even get close to what the KTM can do in the dirt. I will admit that when I read that the new GS will have a wet clutch I got right out excited thinking finally the GS will be more dirt worthy, but then the BMW guys screwed it up, put fatter even more dirt unfriendly tires on the new cow, made no mention of lower gearing for off-road and to put the coup the grace on it made the diameter of the front forks smaller.:eek1 This new 1190 looks like it will still be much more dirt worthy than the GS, but should be just as good, maybe even better, than the GS on road.

The percentage of riders who take 990's off road is tiny, like probably less than 3-5% and that would be generous but the percentage of photos of people doing crazy things is like 90% - how many times are we gonna see that same photo of Jimmy Lewis jumping that same log? Another hundred?

Gregor

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Gregor - Its obviously different where you live... in South Africa we buy 990's to ride OFF road... You rarely see people commuting on 990's and I cant believe that the riding mentality is that different in the States.... I would say that 80% of 990 riders that I know plan trip, ride them, ride them well... we go into the dunes, the mountains, single track you name it... and now KTM expect me to consider buying that big lug of a bike with terrible ground clearance and a wanky big exhaust to fullfill my adventures??... no thanks.

Of course smaller bikes are easier, and they have their place. I also ride enduros and I completely believe that there are horses for courses... but I can also vouch that the 990 rides like a big enduro bike, and surprises me regularly when pushed.

People who dont want to take their DS bikes of road should be buying road bikes... or a Multistrada... but personally I cant believe your stats and I think you should be giving your fellow 990 rides some more credit!

People who dont want to take their DS bikes of road should be buying road bikes... or a Multistrada

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Just to clarify; off road to me means a trail. As in it isn't conceivable as a road. If a jeep can go on it, it is a road. Paved, unpaved, rutted to hell... it is still a road.

I can understand in Africa or places out western US or Austraila, you actually have the kind of open terrain that is accessible and there is no road per se where you can ride a 500lb motorcycle that "feels like a dirt bike". Unfortunately many of us live near in heavily wooded areas with lots of dense vegetation, the only off road places to ride are trails that are much better on a 250lb motorcycle that "actually is a dirt bike"

I ride my RC8R on dirt roads to connect paved segments, and it works for that, but the heavy front weight bias makes it a lot more difficult and sketchy. A Multistrada is only marginally better; while it may have more relaxed geometry and ergos, it still has a 17" front wheel. Sorry but saying if you don't ride off road you should get a road bike is ridiculous, road bikes just don't handle unpaved roads and double track well at all.

This 1190 Adv is the first bike I know of that has serious muscle, reasonable weight, and a 19" (or 21") front wheel. Makes it the only option for real world adventure performance riding. I get that this is not the type of bike to replace the current 990 for serious off road riding of a 500lb bike... and most likely so does KTM. So everyone shitting on the 1190 because you lament the loss of the 990, realize the 990 isn't gone yet, and KTM has not stated this is the replacement... stop being so damn negative and optimistically hope for the smaller lighter 800. Geesh.